Historic Sites

Provincial Heritage Plaques and National Historic Sites

1. Albert Carman 1833-1917

Throughout his many careers as a teacher and principal at the Belleville Seminary, and as a minister and bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Carman was a forceful and eloquent proponent of Methodist education. His influence in both religious and educational circles makes him a major figure in the history of Methodism in Canada.

Location: 305 Church Street, Belleville

 

2. Albert College

In 1866, the Belleville Seminary, which opened in 1857, was rechartered as Albert College, an affiliate of the University of Toronto. Five years later it became an independent, degree-granting institution.

Location: College Hill United Church, 16 North Park Street, the original site of the college, Belleville

3. Asa Turner

An early Baptist missionary, Turner conducted services in pioneer homes, organized several congregations, and contributed substantially to the establishment of the Baptist Church in Eastern Ontario during the early years of the 19th century.

Location: On the grounds of Sidney Baptist Church, Baptist Church Road and Concession 8, off Highway 14, near Stirling

4. Belleville

The construction of the Grand Trunk Railway between Toronto and Montreal, a booming lumber trade, and fertile agricultural land stimulated the steady growth of Belleville throughout the 19th century.

Location: In Victoria Park, just off South Front Street, along the waterfront, Belleville

5. Belleville City Hall

A fine example of High Victorian architecture, the hall was erected in the 1870s to house the public market and administrative Offices of the burgeoning community. Little altered over the years and remarkably well preserved, the building remains Belleville 's most prominent landmark.

Location: City Hall, 169 Front Street, Belleville

6. Captain George Fraser Kerr, V.C., M.C., M.M. 1895-1929

A native of Deseronto, Kerr fought with the Canadian Expeditionary Force in France throughout the First World War. For the single-handed capture of four machine guns and 31 prisoners at Bourlon Wood in 1918 he was awarded the Victoria Cross.

Location: Centennial Park, between Main Street and the waterfront, Deseronto

7. Captain John W. Meyers 1745-1821

After the American Revolution, the Loyalist spy Meyers bought this site for a gristmill. He traded furs, ran merchant vessels, and built a sawmill, distillery, fulling mill and inn nearby, all of which contributed to the founding of Belleville in 1816.

Location: Station Street, near the former site of Meyers' milling complex on the Moira River, Belleville

8. Champlain's War Party 1615

In September 1615, Samuel de Champlain led a small party of Frenchmen, reinforced by a substantial force of Hurons and Algonkins, down the Trent River en route to attack an Onondaga village near present-day Syracuse. The ill-fated venture served mainly to increase the hostility of the Five Nations toward the French.

Location: Bayshore Park, Albert and Wharf Streets, opposite the Legion Hall, Trenton

9 . . . . . .